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Social Media: The New Fitness Buzz Word

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Social Media is taking the internet by storm the past year.  It has grown from something only the in crowd knew about to something your grandmother is talking about.  It is no surprise that the fitness industry is embracing the social media storm and running with it. 

It is now commonplace for fitness professionals to stay in contact via Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.  Many of them have embraced the simplicity of posting a video to discuss an important fitness topic.  This is all wonderful for the people who need this information.  It is so much easier to get real time feedback on fitness issues now. 

I personally use video at my fitness accountability blog, http://thefatburningmachineblog.com and I find it to be very rewarding.  It is a great way to connect with my readers and it gives them a glimpse into my personality.

I am also using social media as I move towards my first ever body building competition in August 2010.  I am tweeting updates with the hashtag #bbmjm and posting blogs both here and at http://thefatburningmachineblog.com.  Through the use of social media, I have managed to create a network of accountability partners who are following my progress and encouraging me to achieve my goals.  It is exciting and rewarding at the same time.

I believe that social media is the ultimate fitness tool.  It puts you in touch with hundreds or even thousands of people all at one time.  Your message gets distributed in a viral fashion.  It is incredible. 

When I think back to the early 1900’s and how slow information travelled and now, in 2009, how information is out there immediately, I have to smile.  I knew that bodybuilding.com got raided by the FDA before it was announced on my local news station.  I found out through social media.  I personally tweeted the winner of Mr. Olympia 2009 the minute it was announced. 

There are many people who feel that Twitter is dying, but I disagree.  I like the idea of being able to give up to the minute input on a workout or other fitness related endeavor.  In fact, this gives me a new idea.  I might just update Twitter during my workouts.  I can talk about how I am feeling mentally and physically.  I can post what is going through my mind at that exact moment.  If that works I might just add a Twitter update page on this site.  It will be a place where you can go and read my entire Twitter stream all at once. 

The ideas on how to use social media are countless.  Take some time to think it through and leave me some comments on what you thought up.

You can follow me on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/mikemahony

You can follow me on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/michaelmahony

You can checkout my YouTube channel:  http://youtube.com/coachmike1965

Thanks for your support!

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Old Faithfuls

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There isn’t a day go by that there isn’t some new gadget or piece of fitness equipment being hustled on TV.  Now, I don’t spend a lot of time watching the Shopping Channel, but everyone once in a while if channel surfing, I will come across something that I just have to stay and watch.  It never ceases to amaze me what latest fitness gimmick is out there.  There always seems to be the latest fad for losing weight, trimming the fat, shaping the body.

The question always comes up – well do they work?  In a word with most of them – no!  A lot of the latest gimmicks on TV have no basis in muscle physiology or function.  They are all offering the same thing – a quick fix with no real effort.  Unfortunately life just doesn’t happen that way.  Staying fit and trim takes hard work and dedication.

With all these latest fads hitting the market, I thought it was time to talk about the old classics.  The old faithful stand bys in every sound strength training program.  It doesn’t matter what your fitness goals are, there are some constants that need to be there in order for any program to be successful.  A couple are consistency and intensity.  You need to be consistent in your workouts to notice any results or progress and you also need to be working out with the right intensity to make a difference to your body.

One of the ways to remain consistent and keep the intensity high is to stick the old time weight lifting exercises.  Some of these would be:

  • Squats and all its variations – dumbbell squats, sumo squats, single leg squats, Bulgarian squats, back or front squats
  • Deadlifts and all its variations – sumo deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, single leg deadlifts, hex or trap bar deadlifts
  • Pushing movements – bench presses, dumbbell presses, push ups
  • Pulling movements – all the rowing movements (dumbbell rows, cable rows, bent over bar rows), lat pulldowns
  • Lunging movements – forward lunges, rear lunges,  rotating lunges, side lunges

With these compound exercises you are engaging more muscles to work, burning more calories while workout out and if done with the right combination and right intensity, creating an EPOC effect (post exercise oxygen consumption).  It is this calorie burning that occurs post exercise that is responsible for weight loss and fat burning.

Incorporating these compound movements in your exercise sessions with in essence give you a bigger bank for your buck.  Forget all the latest gadgets you see on TV.  Most of them are a waste of your hard earned money and most of the time after purchased, tend to sit and collect dust.  Invest your money in a fitness professional who can design a strength program based on the old standbys and you will not only be healthier but you will be getting excellent value for your money, and you won’t have something sitting in the corner of your living room collecting dust or clothes.

Till next time,

Narina

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Combat the Fat Week 12 Update

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I just completed ctf-coveranother week of Combat the Fat training and I must say, while I love heavy lifting, this was a very effective workout plan that I will keep on my shelf for future use.  The intensity was perfect for me.  The concepts were sound and they really worked.  I wound up losing 5 inches from my midsection and I lost 10 lbs. on the scale.  All of my numbers were extremely positive.

The biggest lesson I learned from Combat the Fat is that low intensity cardio can be extremely intense.  When I do the one hour session I wind up drenched in sweat.  The hour goes by so fast that it feels like 10 minutes.  I am always amazed when I realize that I am done with the workout.  It is strange, but a great feeling.

Another big lesson is something I already knew, but this program reconfirmed for me—discipline brings about progress.  The Combat the Fat program really forces you to be consistent with your workouts and your nutrition.  That consistency pays off in a big way when you do it for 12 straight weeks.

I honestly miss lifting heavy weights and throwing the plates around.  I am looking forward to my next cycle of training because I am planning to go heavy with very slow repetitions.  The challenge will be amazing.  However, I have alot of respect for both body weight exercises and unconventional approaches to working out now that I’ve basically completed the Combat the Fat program. 

Top 5 Lessons From Combat the Fat Training

1.  Low intensity cardio can be intense when done correctly and with maximum effort.

2.  CTF Pyramids are nightmarish and will become a part of my arsenal when trying to shock a stubborn body part into growing.

3.  Consistent nutrition is the key to successful fat loss.  I would say it is as much as 80% of the results you get from a program.

4.  Having a plan of attack is essential to successful fat loss.  The haphazard approach just does not work.

5.  Fruit is a great snack for energy.  While many think fruit is bad for you, chosen wisely, it is an awesome part of your nutritional plan.

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Breaking Through

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The Muscle Building Fat Burning Video Blog #108
September 16, 2009

 

    

    

 

What's on my mind today?

Day 693
Day 3 of 335

There comes a time in everyone’s life when they are facing a barrier and they cannot simply climb over it or go around it.  The barrier can be mental or physical, but no matter what type of barrier it is, you just have to break through.  Anything less is failure.

Break Through Attitude

Our attitude always determines our success.  If you have a terrible attitude you get terrible results in life.  If you have a good attitude, it doesn’t guarantee good results, but it definitely makes them alot easier to achieve.  Having a break through attitude means that you acknowledge the difficulties you might face, but you tell yourself that you can and will accomplish something. 

Break Through Mindset

When you enter the gym, your mindset will determine your progress on that day.  Hit the weights with the right mindset and you will have an incredible workout.  Your mindset will drive you to new heights.

Break Through Workouts

Picture yourself in the gym.  You are about to do a heavy set of deadlifts.  It is the final exercise of a particularly grueling workout.  You are exhausted as you step up to the loaded bar.  You squat down and grab the bar.  This is the moment that will define your entire workout.  Will you have a break through workout where you completely decimate the set of deadlifts or will you just give up?  That’s entirely up to you.  If your attitude and mindset are right, you are sure to have a break through workout.  Step up and decimate those deadlifts.  You will feel incredible afterwards.

 
Find out what I'm doing to my body!
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Today was a really good workout.  I worked hard.  Matty worked hard.  We felt great when we left the gym.

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It is important to note that we are doing an extremely slow repetition.  The cadence is 3-0-3-0.  Three seconds up and three seconds down is intense.  Our goals are to hit 4-6 repetitions on the upper body exercises and 8-10 repetitions on the lower body exercises.  It is a tough workout for sure! 

 

 
No pictures until this mission officially starts next week.

Until tomorrow…GET BACK TO LIFTING!

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You Asked?

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There isn’t a day go by at the studio that questions aren’t being asked.  And, it seems the same questions are on the minds of a lot of people.  So, I thought I would share just two of the very common questions that get asked.

Is breakfast important?

Yes, breakfast is important.  In fact it is the most important meal of you day.  As you sleep at night, your body is in a fasting state taking in nutrition.  Depending on how long you sleep, and when you would normally take in your first meal, you could be in a fasting state from 6-12 hours.  For example if you  normally got to bed at 11 at night, get up in the morning and head to work, your first meal may be coffee break or lunch the next day.  That is far too long without food.

If you think of a furnace requiring fuel or wood to burn, your metabolism is no different.  Without fuel a furnace will not operate.  The same holds true for your metabolism.  Without food or fuel, your metabolism will not burn.  The best way to kick start a slow metabolism is by feeding it.   If weight loss or weight control is your objective, then it is imperative that you keep your furnace or metabolism burning.  The best way to stall your weight loss efforts is to skip meals and the best way to halt any weight loss is to not eat breakfast.  This most important meal does not have to be a large meal as I realize that some people do not have an appetite first thing.   A couple of suggestions for breakfast would be:

1) Smoothie or Shake: Mix 1-2 scoops protein powder with 8 -12 oz skim milk or water.  Add fresh or frozen berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries).    Add 2 tbsp flax seeds, ice and put all ingredients in a blender.  Blend until smooth.

2)  Omelet – Beat together 1 whole egg plus 3 egg whites (or 1/2 cup egg white from carton).  Cook the egg mixture in a skillet.  Add handful of fresh spinach or about 1/3 cup frozen spinach, chopped onion and 1 slice fat free cheese.   Enjoy.

Is stretching important and when should I stretch – before or after?

The question of when to stretch comes up time and time again.  In fact how often do you see people outside stretching before they go for their run?  It is important to stretch but there is a best time to stretch and it is not before you exercise or before a run.  The purpose of stretching is to return muscles to their resting length following exercise.  There are times when we will stretch prior to exercise.  For example, hip flexors and hamstrings are often quite tight on most people.  Prior to a dynamic warm up in our strength workouts, a stretch of the hip flexors and hamstrings are done.

hamstrings are dynamically stretched using a Romanian deadlift with a light weight.  These dynamic stretches are used prior to the strength portion of a workout to increase range of motion through  specific muscles groups.
Stretches of the body as a whole, is always done following exercise for two reasons.  One reason is that the body is now adequately warmed up and muscles are more pliable and apt to stretch when they are warm.  Secondly, stretching after exercise is to help return muscles to their resting length following a term of intense muscle contractions required during the strength workout.

I hope this has answered a couple of the more common questions that come up.  Please feel free to leave me a comment or a question you would like answered.

Till next time,
Narina

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